People with diabetes and high blood pressure are more at risk of heart attack or stroke. So, awareness of blood pressure in people with diabetes is very important. In this post, we try to Understand the Link Between Diabetes and Hypertension.
If diabetes is not controlled, over time, high blood sugar levels can damage blood vessels and nerves, causing heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, eye problems, and foot ulcers. Blood pressure is the pressure that our heart pumps blood into the walls of our arteries. It is better for blood pressure in people with diabetes to be checked regularly by healthcare providers such as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and health monitors in health centers and comprehensive health service centers. Blood pressure in people with diabetes should be evaluated by a doctor at least once a year.
Relationship between high blood pressure and diabetes
Diabetes and high blood pressure do not cause each other, but people with diabetes are usually susceptible to other diseases, such as high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol. Each of these can alone cause damage to blood vessels and cause heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, and other problems. Suffering from all of these diseases at the same time increases the likelihood of these injuries and disorders several times.
High blood pressure increases the risk of complications of diabetes, such as eye, kidney, and leg damage. In the case of diabetes, the doctor’s effort to control blood pressure is to prevent heart attack or stroke.
Diabetes and high blood pressure Complications
High blood sugar over time can damage blood vessels and nerves that control the heart. The likelihood of people with diabetes developing conditions that increase the risk of heart disease is more than twice that of other people. These conditions include:
- High blood pressure can damage the walls of arteries (vessels that carry blood from the heart to the limbs). High blood pressure and diabetes can significantly increase the risk of heart disease.
- Excessive amounts of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the bloodstream can accumulate in damaged artery walls, causing narrowing of the arteries and impaired blood flow to organs such as the heart and brain.
- High levels of triglycerides (a type of fat in the blood), low levels of good cholesterol (HDL), or high levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) can harden artery walls and increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart attack, and stroke.
NOTE: Knowing that many people with high blood pressure may have no symptoms and feel healthy is important. Even in this case, controlling high blood pressure is important because it damages the body’s blood vessels. That’s why you should never forget to measure your blood pressure. Blood pressure measurement is a painless examination and takes only two minutes.😄
Uncontrolled high blood pressure can increase the risk of the following diseases:
- Kidney disease
- Vascular dementia: a common type of dementia caused by reduced blood flow to the brain.
- Heart failure: a condition in which the heart does not pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs.
Remember: Efforts to maintain a healthy weight, increase physical activity, reduce salt intake in the diet (best diet for diabetes), quit smoking and alcohol, use various methods to cope with stress, and reduce caffeine consumption can help reduce blood pressure. Making changes in lifestyle may not be enough, and many people with diabetes need medication to lower their blood pressure. All of these drugs must be taken under the prescription and supervision of a doctor.
Reference:
https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/facts.htm
